Military/Aerospace

From the very beginning, Direct Dimensions has been proudly serving the Military and Aerospace industry. We had the privilege of laser scanning and digitizing everything from entire airplanes and cockpits, down to individual nuts and bolts.

Legacy Part Re-Engineering

Using our reverse engineering tools and applications, Direct Dimensions can create 2D drawings of your "final" part that can be used as blueprints and for re-manufacturing the part.

Reverse Engineering is a critical step in the process of manufacturing obsolete structural components that lack sufficient historical engineering data for exact reproduction. Direct Dimensions, Inc. has been providing Reverse Engineering (RE) services to the military and aerospace industries for the past decade. Our advanced scanning equipment, technical expertise, and 10-year experience enable us to provide a wide range of tailored solutions for any project.

Our advanced methods for capturing the complex surface geometry of legacy parts utilize laser scan technology to obtain accuracies to .001 inches. Raw point-cloud data is gathered, processed, and constructed into 3D models in many cases without direct physical contact which may potentially damage irreplaceable parts. From the 3D models, the mechanical components are reconstructed to their original design intent and measurements are validated for proper manufacturing. We then provide the client with a final model in a variety of any suitable CAD formats. In many cases, the results of our RE process is more comprehensive than the original documentation for the component.

Our proven process of Reverse Engineering can be generalized into the following steps:

examine the part, understand requirements, develop RE strategy

measure and laser scan the part, format and analyze the dimensional data

verify accuracy of model with comparison to the original part scan data

Direct Dimensions, Inc. can handle an extensive range of project input formats and provide the most efficient services to deliver a desired final product for end application. The table below outlines several variations:

Project Inputs:

Direct Dimensions Services:

Deliverables:

Sample Parts

Existing Documentation

Tooling and Molds

Manufacturing Requirements

Quality Requirements

Laser Scanning

3D Surface Modeling

3D Solid Modeling

2D Drawings

Tolerance Analysis

Project Management

3D CAD Models

Tolerance Analysis

Rapid Prototype Sample

Other Engineering Data

Typical Project Case Study - Hand Control Stick

Direct Dimensions, Inc. was presented with a Reverse Engineering project to provide remanufacturing data for a complex hand control stick. In addition to high accuracy requirements, the project was also on an extremely tight schedule.

Below is an overview of the project showing the customer-supplied OEM components through our RE process to complete solid models. The complex geometry of the individual component parts was captured using both laser scanners and CMM digitizers. Raw data was processed into surface geometry and then used to generate solid CAD models for machining.

The project was completed on budget, ahead of schedule, and exceeding customer requirements for accuracy and quality.

Reverse Engineering of Aircraft Fuselage Structure

About Direct Dimensions

Direct Dimensions, Inc. was established in 1995 and has since become a leader in the reverse engineering industry. Our extensive experience spans from small consumer parts to major industrial components. Industries include: automotive, medical products, sculpture, architecture, forensics, product development, cultural preservation, visualization & animation, and military/aerospace.

At Direct Dimensions, Inc, only the most current and exact technology is utilized. This includes our scanning equipment to our software programs. Direct Dimensions, Inc. consists of a staff of expertly trained and skilled individuals with the abilities to provide solutions to any project. Our experienced technical staff allows us to deliver the most efficient solutions while maintaining a solid relationship with our clients.

Direct Dimensions, Inc. is constantly updating our capabilities as they become available and we continue to develop industry standards in technology, methodology, and accuracy.

Aging Aircraft/Modifications

In order to document an aging aircraft, or to make modifications to an existing aircraft, Direct Dimensions can reverse engineer any part that exists on the aircraft.

Crew Station/Human Factors

When certain measurements cannot be made with conventional methods (ex: line-of-sight measurements), Direct Dimensions can use our advanced measuring devices to give you an accurate 3D view of your solution.